Why this fitness expert says you should exercise less

Researchers have proven that we no longer have to spend hours in a gym each day to have the fit and healthy body we want. Yes, what that means is you could potentially be working out for even just 10 minutes in a day instead of three hours and have a fitter, if not, more toned body then before. High intensity interval training, or HIIT, is the most effective form of exercise and all it takes is you, at home without any equipment, just 10 to 30 minutes out of your day. I developed my programs the 30 Minute Blitz and the 10 Minute Turnaround because researchers have worked out that HIIT can intensify the burning of calories during and after exercise.

Gone are the days of dragging yourself out of bed at 5am to get into the gym before work and before it gets busy. Many people have asked me what it is about high intensity interval training, or HIIT, that makes it so effective.

I get many clients who are confused about why it is so popular, ‘why don’t we have to spend hours in the gym every day to get the body we want? Etc.’ My answer is simple; even just 10 minutes of high intensity exercise is all it takes to increase calories burned, so long as the bouts of exercise have short rest periods in between them.

Exercise ignites the metabolism. If the metabolism is viewed as a flame, exercise increases the size of the flame and burns a higher number of calories in the process. High intensity exercise works differently to continuous or traditional exercise. For example, if you were to walk on a treadmill for 40 minutes this would gradually increase the metabolic flame and slowly increase the number of calories burned. When you stop exercising, the flame would immediately drop back down along with the calorie burn.

High intensity exercise is like throwing petrol on to the flame. Each bout of intense activity acts as an accelerant for our metabolic flame pushing it higher and faster. It burns calories faster because the activity is so intensive, even when the exercise stops, the flame takes a while to come back down meaning calories keep getting burned at an increased rate after exercise has stopped. HIIT is also much more effective for improving cardiovascular fitness while delivering results faster in a shorter period of time.

Now that I’ve explained the literature behind the idea, why is it worth your time? Well, the answer is that time is precious. In today’s world we are always rushing somewhere – be it the office, to pick up the kids, or home to make dinner. It’s hard to find the time to really take care of yourself. Some people don’t think they have the time to work out at all, so they skip it and somehow end up living a lifestyle that is far unhealthier – simply because they don’t think they have the time. This is a terrible trap to fall into! HIIT exercise is perfect for you if you are looking for a way to stay healthy without dedicating hours out of your week.

I have inserted some quick exercises below that could really make the difference in your lifestyle if you dedicate the time to them:

1-minute of push ups

1-minute of sit ups

1-minute jump squats

1-minute plank

1-minute star jumps

1-mute alternating lunges

1-minute crunches

1-minute mountain climbers

1-minute leg raises

1-minute burpees

It’s not hard to get on top of your health, 30 minutes a few times a week or even just 10 minutes every day could mean a huge difference.